Heat exchange apparatus



April 12, 1955 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 MZ Q93 C. N. ROSWELL HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS 3 Shets-Sheet l April 12, 1955 Q N, ROSWELL 2,706,106

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1 954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 l I il V April l2, 1955 c. N. RoswELl.

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 ma@ QN. ww mn Sw 4N kh, .Q

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United States Patent C HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Charles N. Roswell, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,948

14 Claims. (Cl. 257-246) This invention relates to a heat exchange apparatus of the type adapted to cool or heat a uid while it is iiowing through the exchanger.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of an improved heat exchange apparatus comprising, a first header provided with a heat exchange medium conduit, a second header spaced therefrom p'rovided with a second heat exchange medium conduit, and a plurality of heat exchangers extending between said headers, each exchanger including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage communicating with the headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into the casing through an open end thereof and having an outer wall of the tube spaced from the inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall in the tube spaced from the outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween communicating with the interior of the inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating with the product chamber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in the casing in a predetermined position and cooperating wall sections in the casing and the tube defining a medium passage including the first header, the interior of the tube and the inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a heat exchange apparatus comprising, a first header provided with a heat exchange medium conduit, a second header spaced therefrom provided with a second heat exchange medium conduit, a plurality of heat exchangers extending between said headers, each exchanger including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage communicating with said headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into said casing through an open end thereof that is adjacent to the outer side of said first header, the tube having an outer wall spaced from said inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween communicating with the interior of said inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating with opposite ends of said product chamber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in said casing in a predetermined position, and cooperating wall sections in said casing and tube defining a medium passage including the first header, the interior of the tube and said inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage; and an auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit extending between each pair of first and second headers on each heat exchanger.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of the above apparatus wherein the first header is provided with a pair of chambers, one of which communicates with the auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit and the second of which communicates with the first heat exchange medium conduit, and each of said medium conduit tubes is provided With an annular hollow section around the outer end of said outer wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the annular hollow section being divided into a rst chamber communicating with one of said Patented Apr. 12, 1955 chambers in said first header and with the interior of said inner wall, and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with the other of said chambers in said first header, and wherein the product passage chamber is provided with helically arranged guide means directing the product in an essentially helical path, the guide means having a multiple pitch section at each end of said product passage chamber to facilitate the entrance of said product into the chamber and its exit from the chamber.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational View of a heat exchanger embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the heat exchanger of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View showing the central concentric tubular portions of a heat exchanger partially broken away for clarity of illustration.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevational View taken along line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an elevational view taken substantially along line 7 7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is an elevational view taken substantially along line 8 8 of Figure 3.

The heat exchanger shown in the accompanying drawings comprises, a first header 10 provided with a heat exchange medium conduit 11 and a second header 12 provided with a heat exchange medium conduit 13. Extending between the headers 10 and 12 are a plurality of heat exchangers 14. Each exchanger includes a casing having an outer shell 15 and an inner shell 16 each of generally cylindrical shape and spaced from each other to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage 17. This passage 17 communicates with the headers 10 and 12 at the respective ends of the passage.

Removably held within the inner casing shell 16 and extending into this shell through the open end 16a thereof is a heat exchange medium conduit tube 18. This conduit tube is telescopically received in the inner casing shell 16 to provide a product passage chamber essentially of generally cylindrical shape therebetween. The tube 18 is also provided with a generally cylindrical inner wall 21 spaced inwardly of the outer wall 19 to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage 22 therebetween. The inner end 21a of the inner wall 21 is tapered in a frusto-conical shape and is open at this extreme inner end in orderthat the inner heat exchange medium passage 22 is in communication with the interior of this inner wall 21 in order to form a heat exchange medium passage 23. In the preferred embodiment the outer casing shell 15, the inner casing shell 16, the outer tube wall 19 and the inner tube wall 21 are all substantially concentric.

As can be seen most clearly in Figure 8, the second header 12 which encloses the rear ends of the pair of heat exchangers 14, surrounds the inner end of the inner casing shell 16. The outer tube wall 19 has its inner end extending beyond the header 12 through an opening 12a provided therein. Each opening is covered by a removable dish-shaped cap 24 having a liange 24a held in place by bolts 25. Each cap 24 is spaced from the inner closed end piece 26 of the tube wall 19 so as to complete the product passage between the inner casing shell 16 and the outer tube wall 19. A substantially concentric product port 24b in the form of a pipe extension is provided on the cap 24.

The opposite end of the product passage Z0 is also provided with a product port 27. This port is in the form of a pipe and is provided on each heat exchanger. The product port 27, as is shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 5, extends downwardly through the header 10 but out of communication therewith into the outer end of the product passage 20. The product port 27 is essentially tangential to the product passage.

The rst header 10 is provided with an upper chamber a and a lower chamber 10b separated from each other by transverse bailles. The rst baille 28 extends between the wall of the header 10 and a cylindrical extension 30 that is attached to and extends beyond the outer casing shell 15. The second baille 29 extends between the two extensions 30 of the two heat exchangers. The third baille 31 extends between the second extension 30 and the wall of the chamber 10. The baffles 28, 29 and 31 are substantially aligned in a horizontal plane.

The upper chamber 10a in the ilrst header 10 communicates through ports 10d in the rear wall 32 that deilnes the inner end of the header 10 with an auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit 33. This conduit is of generally arcuate cross-section and extends between the headers 10 and 12 to pass the heat exchange medium therebetween. As is shown in Figure 2, each heat exchanger is provided with a heat exchange medium conduit 33. Each conduit 33 lies along the top of an outer casing shell 15 and is of generally arcuate cross-section of a relatively large crosssectional area so that the medium can flow therethrough at a rapid rate.

Each of the heat exchange medium conduit tubes 18 is provided with an essentially annular hollow section 34 around the outer end of the outer wall 19. This outer wall 19 and the inner wall 21 of the removable tube extend from this hollow section 34. The annular hollow section 34 is provided with a front wall 35 and a rear wall 36 that are preferably parallel to each other. These walls extend out just short of the front wall 10e of the rst header 10.

The annular hollow section 34 is divided by spaced radial bailles 37 and 38, an arcuate baille 39 and baille 2lb extending between bailles 37 and 38 into a first chamber 34a communicating with the iirst header 10 and with the interior of the inner tube wall 21. These bailles 37, 38, 2lb and 39 also provide a second chamber 34b which communicates with the inner heat exchange medium passage 22 and with the heat exchange medium conduit 11. The arcuate baille 39, in the embodiment shown, is actually an extension of the lower portion of the inner tube wall 21. A separate baille could, of course, be provided if desired.

The first chamber 34a in the hollow section 34 communicates with the upper chamber 10a in the header 10 by means of openings 36a in the rear wall 36 of the hollow section 34 with these openings being aligned with similar openings 10j in the front wall 10e of the header 10. This ilrst chamber 34a also communicates with the heat exchange medium passage 23 on the interior of the inner tube wall 21. As can be seen most clearly in Figure 3, the innertube wall 21 is provided at the outer or front end thereof with an essentially radial bafile 2lb extending between the bailles 37 and 38. This serves to block the rst chamber 34a from the inner heat exchange medium passage 22.

The second chamber 34b in each arcuate hollow section 34 communicates with the lower chamber 10b of the header 10 through openings deiined by pipes 40 xed in the front wall 10e of the header 10, and extending through openings in the rear Wall 36 of the hollow section 34.

The heat exchange medium conduit 11 to the iirst header 10 is removably fastened in place by means of bolts 41. The second conduit 13 is similarly fastened in place by means of bolts 42. The iirst header 10 communicates with a chamber 43 formed as an extension of the iirst header 10 and located rearwardly of the bottom part of the rear wall 32 of the header 10. This chamber which communicates with the heat exchange medium conduit 11 also communicates with the lower chamber 10b of the header 10 by means of a generally triangular opening 10g in the inner wall 10c of the header 10. This opening has its bottom ilush with the bottom of the header and-is positioned between the pair of heat exchangers.

Each heat exchanger medium conduit tube 18 is fastened by means of releasable attaching means in a predetermined position so that the cooperating wall sections in the casing and in the tube define the heat exchange medium passage that includes the ilrst header, the interior of the removable tube and the inner medium passage by way of the inner end of the inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage. In the embodiment shown, this fastening means includes a plurality of bolts 44 on each removable conduit tube. In the embodiment shown there are four of these bolts, the upper two of which extend through the iirst chamber 34a of the annular hollow section 34 and the lower pair of which extend through the second chamber 34b of the hollow section 34. Each removable conduit tube is also provided with a handle 45 to aid in removing the tube from the exchanger and in inserting it into the exchanger.

In the embodiment shown, each end piece 26 on the inner end of the outertube wall 19 has a generally conical yet concave surface 26a. This surface aids in directing the heat exchange medium between the passages 22 and 23 as the heat exchange medium must reverse its direction of ilow at the inner end of the conduit tube.

In the preferred embodiment, the product passage chamber 20 is provided therein with helically arranged guide means. In the embodiment shown, this guide means comprises a metal strip 46 fastened to the outer surface of the outer tube wall 19 and arranged helically therearound. This guide means directs the product in an essentially helical path. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in the drawing, the guide means has a multiple pitch section at each end of the product passage chamber to facilitate the entrance of the product into the chamber and its exit from the chamber.

The inner end of the outer heat exchange medium passage 17 communicates directly with the interior of the second header 12. The opposite end of this medium passage 17 communicates with the lower header chamber 10b and thus with the bottom medium chamber 43 by means of bottom parts 30a in the bottom part of the cylindrical extension 30 and parts 10g in the rear wall 32.

The front or outer side of the second header 12 is defined by a wall 47. The outer casing shell 15 extends through this wall in order that the outer heat exchange medium passage 17 may communicate with the header 12. The upper portion of this wall is provided with a plurality of ports 47a providing communication between the interior of the auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit 33 and the header 12.

In order to support the inner end of the inner tube wall 21 there are provided a plurality of radially-extending vanes 48 extending between this inner tube wall 21 and the outer tube wall 19. These vanes have their edges aligned with the ilow of the heat exchange medium.

Each of the heat exchangers 14 is essentially like the other heat exchanger. Therefore, the description directed herein to one of the heat exchangers also applies to the other. Furthermore, although two exchangers have been shown in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, more than two may be used if desired.

In the drawings the ilow of the heat exchange medium is illustrated by solid arrows. The ilow of the product has been illustrated by dotted arrows. The directions of ilow shown are for illustrative purposes only as it is obvious that the direction of ilow may be that shown or may be in the opposite direction. In the following description of the operation of the invention the ilow will be described as illustrated.

In the operation of the device the product may ilow through the product port 27 into the product passage chamber 20. The product then ilows through this chamber in the generally helical path and out the second procluct port 24h.

The heat exchange medium preferably ilows countercurrent to the product. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the heat exchange medium flows through the conduit 13 into the second header 12. From this second header the heat exchange medium ilows through the outer heat exchange medium passage 17, through the ports 30a, through the large opening 10g into the chamber 43 and from there out the heat exchange medium conduit 11.

From the second header 12 the heat exchange medium also ows through the ports 47a into the auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit 33. From this conduit the medium ilows through the ports 10d into the upper chamber 10a. From this upper chamber the medium ilows through the aligned ports 10)c and 36a into the upper header chamber 34a and from there into the medium passage 23 on the interior of the inner tube wall 21. From this passage 23 the heat exchange medium ilows around the inner end of the wall 21 and into the inner heat exchange medium passage 22. The medium then ilows to the front end of the heat exchanger, into the second chamber 34b in the annular hollow section 34, through the pipes 40, into the lower header chamber 10b, through the relatively large opening 10g, into the chamber 43 and from there to the conduit 11. As can be seen from the drawings, and from the description the heat exchange medium flows countercurrently to the product on both sides of the product passage 20. Furthermore, the outer casing shell that forms the outer wall of the outer heat exchange medium passage 17 also forms a portion of the inner wall of the auxiliary passage 33.

Where the heat exchange medium contains or may contain a liquid such as the condensate from steam, the front end of the apparatus is preferably somewhat lower than the opposite end. With this construction the liquid can flow through the opening 10g into the chamber 43 and from there into the first header 11. As the annular hollow section 34 of each heat exchanger is located beyond the header 10 each hollow section may be withdrawn at will from the apparatus without disturbing the other heat exchanger and without disturbing the piping or other connections.

The heat exchanger shown and directed herein is primarily intended for vapor media such as steam, Dowtherm, ammonia, Freon and the like. Any desired iiuld product may be heated or cooled in the apparatus as is desired. One of the principal advantages of the apparatus is that the multiple tube groupings may be installed with headers as shown with each header having only a single heat exchange medium inlet or outlet. Furthermore, all conduit tubes may be withdrawn easily and quickly for cleaning purposes and all surfaces that are contacted by the product are thereby exposed. The apparatus can be operated with the product flowing through only one heat exchanger or through all heat exchangers as desired. This is true because each heat exchanger is provided with its own product inlet and outlet. This feature permits great flexibility in processing various types and volumes of fiuids either at the same time or at different times.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Heat exchange apparatus, comprising: a first header provided with a first heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said header; a second header spaced therefrom provided with a second heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said second header; and a plurality of heat exchangers extending between said headers, each exchanger r including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage communicating with said headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into said casing through an open end thereof adjacent to said first header and having an outer wall of the tube spaced from said inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall in the tube spaced from said outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween communicating with the interior of said inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating with said product charnber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in said casing in a predetermined position and cooperating wall sections in said first header and tube defining a medium passage extending between the first heat exchange medium conduit and the second heat exchange medium conduit and including the first header, the second header, the interior of the tube and said inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage.

2. The apparatus of claim l wherein said first header is positioned inwardly of, but adjacent to the outer end of said medium conduit tube to provide access to the casing for removing and inserting said tube.

3. The apparatus of claim l wherein one of each of said pair of ports passes through but out of communication with said first header and the second of said pair is located at the end of the exchanger that is adjacent to said second header.

4. The apparatus of claim l wherein each of said medium conduit tubes is provided with an arcuate hollow section around the outer end of said inner wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the arcuate hollow section being divided into a first chamber communicating with said first header and with the interior of said inner wall and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with a heat exchange medium port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first header is provided with a pair of chambers each communicating with a heat exchange medium port, and each of said medium conduit tubes is provided with an arcuate hollow section around the outer end of said inner wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the arcuate hollow section being divided into a first chamber communicating with one of said chambers in said first header and with the interior of said inner wallf and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with the other of said chambers in said first header.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there is provided an auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit extending between said first and second headers on each heat exchanger, said auxiliary conduit being located exteriorly of said outer shell.

7. Heat exchange apparatus, comprising: a first header provided with a first heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said header; a second header spaced therefrom provided with a second heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said second header; and a plurality of heat exchangers extending between said headers, each exchanger including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage cornmunicating with said headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into said casing through an open end thereof that is adjacent to the outer side of said first header, the tube having an outer wall spaced from said inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween communicating with the interior of said inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating with opposite ends of said product chamber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in said casing in a predetermined position, cooperating wall sections in said first header and tube defining a medium passage extending between the first heat exchange medium conduit and the second heat exchange medium conduit and including the first header, the second header, the interior of the tube and said inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage, and an auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit extending between said first and second headers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said medium conduit tubes is provided with an arcuate hollow section around the outer end of said inner wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the arcuate hollow section being divided into a first chamber communicating with said first header and with the interior of said inner wall and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with a heat exchange medium port. 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first header 1s provided with a pair of chambers one of which communlcates with said auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit and the second of which communicates with said first header heat exchange medium conduit, and each of said medium conduit tubes is provided with an arcuate hollow section around the outer end of said inner wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the arcuate hollow section being divided into a first chamber communicating with one of said chambers in said first header and with the interior of said inner Wall, and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with the other of said chambers in said rst header.

l0. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein one of said product ports passes through said first header and is essentially tangential to one side of said product chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said product passage chamber is provided with helically arranged guide means directing the product in an essentially helical path, the guide means having a multiple pitch section at each end of said product passage chamber to facilitate the entrance of said product into the chamber and its exit from the chamber.

l2. Heat exchange apparatus, comprising: a first header provided with a first heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said header; a second header spaced therefrom provided with a second heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said second header; and a heat exchanger extending between said headers including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage communicating with said headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into said casing through an open end thereof adjacent to said first header and having an outer wall of the tube spaced from said inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall in the tube spaced from said outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween communicating with the interior of said inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating with said product chamber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in said casing in a predetermined position and cooperating wall sections in said first header and tube defining a medium passage extending between the first heat exchange medium conduit and the second heat exchange medium conduit and including the first header, the second header, the interior of the tube and said inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage.

13. Heat exchange apparatus, comprising: a first header provided with a first heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said header; a second header spaced therefrom provided with a second heat exchange medium conduit communicating with the interior of said second header; and a heat exchanger extending between said headers including a casing having an outer shell and an inner shell spaced to provide an outer heat exchange medium passage communicating with said headers, a heat exchange medium conduit tube telescopically received into said casing through an open end thereof that is adjacent to the outer side of said first header, the tube having an outer wall spaced from said inner shell of the casing to provide a product passage chamber and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to provide an inner heat exchange medium passage therebetween cornmunicating with the interior of said inner wall at the inner end thereof, a pair of product ports communicating With opposite ends of said product chamber to direct product therethrough, releasable attaching means fastening the tube in said casing in a predetermined position, and cooperating wali sections in said first header and tube defining a medium passage extending between the first heat exchange medium conduit and the second heat exchange medium conduit and including the first header, the second header, the interior of the tube and said inner medium passage by way of the inner end of said inner tube wall and the inner end of the inner medium passage; and an auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit extending between said first and second headers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said first header is provided with a pair of chambers one of which communicates with said auxiliary heat exchange medium conduit and the secondof which communicates with said first header heat exchange medium conduit, and each of said medium conduit tubes is provided with an arcuate hollow section around the outer end of said inner wall of said heat exchange medium tube from which said outer and inner walls extend, the arcuate hollow section being divided into a first chamber communicating with one of said chambers in said first header and with the interior of said inner wall, and a second chamber communicating with said inner heat exchange medium passage and with the other of said chambers in said first header.

References Cited inthe tile of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

